Disease (Definition & Terms)
Exacerbation
A period during which signs and symptoms grow more severe.
Metabolic Disease
Disruption of normal metabolism, the process of converting food to energy on a cellular level. Example: diabetes.
Congenital Disease
Exist at or date from birth; can be acquired through heredity or acquired during development in the uterus.
Degenerative Disease
Function or structure of the affected tissues or organs progressively deteriorates over time. Example: arthritis.
Functional Disease
Functional changes in the body.
Gross Exam
Patient is visually examined
Etiology
The cause of a disease.
Morbidity (Incidence)
The incidence of disease. The number of cases of a disease in a population.
Remission
A period during which signs and symptoms of a disease subside or disappear.
Complication
A related disease or other abnormal state that develops in a person already suffering from a disease. Example: a person confined to bed with a serious fracture may develop pneumonia, ulcer, etc.
Hereditary Disease
Abnormality in an individual's genes or chromosomes.
Idiopathic
If the cause of a disease is not known, it is said to be idiopathic.
Nutritional Disease
Over or underconsumption of nutrients.
Traumatic Disease
Physical or chemical injury.
Inflammatory/Infectious Disease
Result of abnormal immune function; infectious diseases are caused by pathogens such as bacteria and viruses.
Neoplastic Disease
Results from abnormal growth that leads to the formation of tumors. Example: cancer.
Organic Disease
Structural (anatomical) changes in the body.
Sequela
The aftermath of a particular disease. Example: a sequela of rheumatic fever is permanent damage to the heart, sequela of polio is paralysis.
Mortality
The number of deaths that occur among people with a certain disease.
Relapse
The return of a disease weeks or months after its apparent cure. Example: occurs often with leukemia and ulcerative colitis.
Pathology
The study of disease.
Histological Exam
Tissue samples are studied under a microscope.
Pathogenisis
Describes how the cause of the disease leads to anatomical and physiological changes in the body that ultimately result in the disease.
Chronic
Disease has a slower, less severe onset and a long duration of months or years. Examples: heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
Acute
Disease has sudden onset and short duration. Examples: influenza, measles, and the common cold.